How numbers added up for Heat title

But with all due respect to Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey and even Miami Heat analyst Bob Chaikin, there still is something to be said for the old-school box score, with its neat columns, statistical delineations that do not require glossaries.

Arm Philadelphia 76ers statistician Harvey Pollack with a season's worth of box scores and play-by-play sheets and what you wind up with is his annual "NBA Statistical Yearbook."

And what we wind up with is a unique spin on some of the distinctive numbers during the Heat's 2011-12 championship season.

Including:

The book breaks down the dunks of each of the Heat's Big Three. LeBron James: 38 alley-oop, 16 driving, three putback, one reverse, 13 running, 16 slam, eight fastbreak, nine plain. Chris Bosh: Two alley-oop, 12 driving, four putback, zero reverse, four running, nine slam, four fastbreak, 31 plain. Dwyane Wade: Six alley-oop, 16 driving, three putback, two reverse, six running, 12 slam, seven fastbreak, 11 plain. (No, we're not sure how any dunk could be "plain," but Pollack has been tracking these things for his 66 years in the NBA, so who are we to question?)

James led the league last season in plus-minus, with the Heat outscoring the opposition by 474 points when the NBA Most Valuable Player was on the court. Interestingly, Heat point guard Mario Chalmers was third at 390, followed by Bosh fourth at 388. Wade was 10th at 343 due to his missed time. (With Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker last at minus-505.)

Heat center Joel Anthony finished 25th in the league in points per shot, at 1.44. One spot behind? That would have been James.

Anthony, no longer charged with the assignment, finished 10th in the league in most taps lost, at 25. By contrast, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, who the Heat face Sunday, led the NBA with 50 taps won.

Chalmers ranked 12th in league in receiving jump balls of any variety, with 15 recoveries.

Heat forward James Jones placed second in the NBA in "trillions" with nine, meaning minutes played in the box score listed next to zeros for all of the 15 statistical categories. Dallas Mavericks forward Brian Cardinal led the NBA with 13.

James ranked seventh in the NBA in rebounds of opponents' missed free throws, at 44. Next closest on the Heat was Udonis Haslem, who ranked ninth in the category, at 38. Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin led the NBA, with 70 such rebounds.

Chalmers led the Heat with 19 offensive fouls, which put him 49th in the league.

The Heat had only three delay-of-game violations all season, to rank 29th in league. Of course, the NBA added delay-of-game warnings this season for not being in place in a timely manner for the opening tip.